Automatic apparatus for lubricating railway and tramway track wheels and rails



A. HOFMANNL AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY' TRACK WHEELS AND RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-14,1918- Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HOFMANN, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY TRACK WHEELS AND RAILS.

Application filed December 14, 1918.

crease in the weight and the speed of the.

vehicle and reduction in the radius of curvature. Large lateral forces arise, more especially in the case of curves of small radii often employed in connection with tramway, which forces have to be resisted by the flanges of the wheels.

Owing to the great pressure exerted by the wheels upon the rails, the flanges of the wheels tend to mount the rails, but are prevented by the heavy load of the car. When the contact surfaces are not lubricated, the lateral pressure produces so much friction at the outer rail of a curve, that the inner side of the rail becomes substantially worn out, as is obvious from the rib-shaped and undulated depressions cut into the grooved part of rails.

The brushing of the rails with lubricating material, which is effected from time to time is not capable of substantially remedying the conditions, since the lubricant thus applied by hand is soon wiped off by the rolling of the first wheels to pass over.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the waste of power hitherto entailed due to the wear of the rails on curves caused by the friction, and also to avoid the unpleasant noise which is usually 'set up when a car is rounding a curve, and to do this by effectively lubricating the flanges of the wheels, or of the track rails automatically and moreover in such a manner as to avoid excessive lubrication likely to interfere with the action of the brakes.

With the above object in view the invention consists in an automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles, or the rails,

' when the vehicles are rounding curves, said Specification of Letters Patent.

v Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Serial No. 266,709. Y

during the rounding of a curve, to press an oiler against the flange of the wheel or rail, and to control the supply of a small quantity of lubricant to the oiler, the pendulum assuming a vertical position when the vehicle is on a straight run or stationary and thereby removing the oiler to an inoperative position and cutting off the sup-- ply of lubricant to the oiler. The invention includes the use of more than one pendulum it being preferred to provide one apparatus for each track wheel.

The lubrication is effected every time the vehicle rounds a curve either to the right or to the left. When the curve is to the left the pendulum of the right hand wheel swings to the right and lubricates the outer friction surface of the right hand wheel or rail. Simultaneously therewith the penduof the wheel flange which is in frictional contact with the left hand opposite rail, or

lubricates the inner frictional surface of the rail. WVhen the curvature is to the right each pendulum swings to the left and lubricates the opposite side of the flange of the wheel or rail.

In the drawings several forms of the invention are illustrated.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front sectional elevation and side elevation of one form, the section in Fig. 1 being taken on line 1 I Fig. 2.

Figs. 3 and A are plans of details respectively showing the oiler in and out of the operative position.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional elevations of the oil vessel, the sections both being taken on line ITII Fig. 1, but showing the oil feed valve in closed and open po sitions respectively.

Fig. 7 is afront elevation of the oiler,

partly in section. V

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional elevat-ion on line IIIIII Fig.3.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated, 1 is a two-arm pendulum, having an adjustable weight or bob 2, and adapted to oscillate on a pivot 5 supported by a bracket 4t secured to the car frame 3. An-oiler 8, having felt bands 7, is pivotally mounted on a pivot 6 carried by the upper arm of the pendulum 1. The felt bands 7 are secured to the oiler 8 by bolts 9, and

springs 10 form resilient supports for the middle portions of the felt bands 7. The shape of the oiler 8 and the arrangement of the felt bands 7 are such that one band can move into contact with the inner edge and the other with the outer edge of the flange 11, (see Figs. 3 and 4c), of the wheel 12of a tram car, and so that each felt band lies against the corresponding flange merely under its own Weight. The oiler 8 is covered with a lid 1 1 previded with small openings 13. A trough 15 is suspended below the oiler vessel 8 on an extension 40.

The uppper arm of the pendulum 1 is provided with a slot 16 in which engages a pin 17 carrried by a lever 19 which is connected with a rotary valve 18 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6). The rotary valve 18 is mounted in the lower part of an oil vessel 20 and has two separate chambers 23 and 2d each of which is provided with an inlet 21 and an outlet 22. Gne felt band 7 is fed with oil from the chamber 23 and the other band 7 is fed from the chamber 24, Fig. 6. An adjustable valve 25 is arranged in the oil vessel 20 for the purpose of regulating the size of the oil outlet therefrom. A lubricating apparatus as hereinbefore described is provided on each wheel of the car, and ac-- cordingly as the car runs on left or right hand curves the one or the other felt band 7 comes into action. However, it is not necessary that one lubricating apparatus be provided for each wheel.

Mode of operation: During a straight run the pendulum 1 assumes a vertical position, the oiler 8 is in the central position and the felt bands are held on both sides out of contact with the flange 11 of the wheel, no lubrication being eflected and no oil being fed to the felt bands (Figs. 3 and When the oiler is in the central position the lever 19 holds the rotary valve 18 in a vertical position to cut off the supply of oil, the openings 21 and 22 being closed (Fig. 5).

When the car turns into a curve to the left, the lower arm of the pendulum 1 which carries the weight 2 swings out to the right (Fig. 2), owing to its tendency to maintain its movement in a straight line under its inertia, while the pivot 5 which is secured to the car frame follows the curve to the left together with the car. The upper arm of the pendulum l with the oiler 8 is oscillated to the left and presses one of the impregnated felt bands 7 against the outer rounded edge of the flange 11, whereby the latter is lubricated (Fig. l). Act the same time the rotary valve 18 Fig. 6 is opened by the lever 19, so that oil from the vessel 20 reaches and impregnates the felt band 7 which is in contact with the flange. Consequently, during the running on a curve bending to the left, the lubrication takes place at the outer edges of the flanges of the right hand Wheels and the inner edges of the flanges of the left hand wheels. The lubricant is transferred on to those walls of the rail grooves which are in frictional contact with the corresponding flanges. During a run over a right hand curve in the track similar operations occur in the opposite direction of movement, so that the outer ec ges of the flanges of the left hand wheels are lubricated. By providing each oiler 8 with two felt bands 7, both the inner and outer edges of the flanges of the inner and outer wheels with respect to the curve can be lubricated, which is of great importance, more especially in the case of tramways with track curves having a small radius of curvature, where great friction takes place also between the inner wheels and. the opposite rail.

After the car has traveled over the curve, the pendulum 1 oscillates back into its vertical position, removes the felt band from the corresponding flange and closes the rotary valve 18, so as to effect economy of oil. The same operations occur when a car stops on a curve.

In order to prevent the lubricating felt bands from being soiled, the apparatus can be provided with cleaning felt bands which are mounted in front of the lubricating bands and which clean the flanges of the Wheels before lubricatin What I claim is 1. An automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles when said vehicles are rounding curves, comprising a two-armed pendulum pivotally supported for oscillating movement beneath the car frame, oilers carried by the upper arms of the pendulum and capable of being pressed on to the flange of the track-wheel by the centrifugal action of the pendulum and an oil feeder connected to the upper arm of the pendulum and capable of being opened by the centrifugal action of the pendulum.

2. An automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles when said vehicles are rounding curves comprising a two-armed pendulum pivotally supported for oscillatory movement beneath the car frame, oilers carried by the upper arm of the pendulum and capable of being pressed on to the flange of the track-wheel by the centrifugal action of the pendulum, an oil vessel suspended above the oiler, a rotary valve in the lower part of the oil vessel and a lever-pin and slot connection between the rotary valve and the upper arm of the pendulum.

3. An automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles when said vehicles are rounding curves, comprising a two-armed pendulum pivotally supported for oscillatory movement beneath the car frame, two oilers carried by the upper arm of the pendulum and capable of being pressed on to the flange of the track-wheel by the centrifugal action of the pendulum, an oil vessel suspended above the oiler, a rotary valve in the lower portion of the oil vessel, a lever pin and slot connection between the rotary valve and the upper arm of the pendulum and two parts provided in the casing of the rotary valve and capable of delivering a small quantity of oil to the respective oiler.

4:. An automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles, when said vehicles are rounding curves, comprising a pendulum supported by the car frame and adapted to oscillate on a pivot, a lubricant feeder connected to the pendulum, an oiler having one or more porous bands and being pivotally mounted on a pivot carried by the upper arm of the said pendulum, so that the oiler or the porous band lies under its own weight against the part to be lubricated.

5. An automatic device for lubricating the flanges of track wheels of tramway and railroad vehicles, when said vehicles are rounding curves, comprising a pendulum supported by the car frame and adapted to oscillate on a pivot, a rotary valve controlling the feeding of the oil, a lubricant feeder connected to the pendulum, a lever actuated by the said pendulum and one or more oilers carried by the said lever, so that when the pendulunr swings out laterally, the lever presses the oiler on to the part to be lubricated,while the pendulum operates the lubricant feeder.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

ALFRED HOFMANN. Witnesses:

HERMANN HUBER, CHARLES GUBLER. 

